Melrose Park Bertrand Goldberg's Re-Discovered

Patrick Steffes, Contributor to the blog Forgotten Chicago, sent word about a recent re-discovery that fans of Midwestern Modernism will want to take notice of. During a sold-out bus tour highlighting overlooked suburban architecture on August 26, the intrepid explorers at Forgotten Chicago finally revealed the location of Bertrand Goldberg’s long forgotten 1939 Standard Homes. These modest homes caused a sensation when new, but their location has been unknown for decades. Using old newspaper microfilm,...

Patrick Steffes, Contributor to the blog Forgotten Chicago, sent word about a recent re-discovery that fans of Midwestern Modernism will want to take notice of. During a sold-out bus tour highlighting overlooked suburban architecture on August 26, the intrepid explorers at Forgotten Chicago finally revealed the location of Bertrand Goldberg’s long forgotten 1939 Standard Homes. These modest homes caused a sensation when new, but their location has been unknown for decades. Using old newspaper microfilm, fire insurance maps, and multiple visits to the community, the remaining homes in the Chicago suburb of Melrose Park, IL were located in late 2011.

One of Goldberg’s earliest residential designs, and part of a plan for thousands of low-cost homes across the country, other Standard Homes were also built in Indiana and Maryland. These Chicago-area homes are located on 22nd Avenue between Division Street and North Avenue in Melrose Park; information on other recent Forgotten Chicago finds and upcoming events may be found here.